System of locking automobiles



T. J. COO.

SYSTEM OF LOCKING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,19I9.

1 397 4 4 Patented Nov. 15, 1921.1

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23 Z hm-D a Imvemizmm fay I T. J. 000. SYSTEM OF LOCKING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATON FILED JULY 5,1919.

Patented Nov. 15, 19211.,

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SYSTEM 015 LOCKING AUTOMOBILES.

1,397,4ldd.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 11921.

Application filed July 5, 1919. Serial No. 308,698.

(GRANTED UIlDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3:, 1921,:41 STAT, I; 1313.)

T 0 all whom it may concern: Be it known that I THOMAS J. Coo, a subject of the King of (neat Britain, and resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and use .ful Improvements Automobiles,

in a System of Looking described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the The principal objects of this invention are, to prevent the stealing of automobiles and to devise a system of locking which will be proof against being tampered with unless the car body is actually destroyed.

A further object is todevise a, structure which will be extremely simple, easily operated and will not be liable to get out of order.

, The principal feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of a locking mechanism entirely within theengine inclosure which when the locking mechanism is in the closed position is sealed from ingress at any point where the said locking 'mechanism can be reached, and whereby the locking mechanism is controlled by a combination lock arranged within the sealed inclosure and having an operating spindle extending to an accessible position within the car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 instrument board of a car, showing the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view showing the arrangement of the locking mecha msm.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view through the engine inclosure.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged perspective detail of a ortion of the locking mechanism.

i umerous forms of locking devices for antomobiles have been devised for locking the clutch so that the car cannot be operated and I for breaking the ignition circuit, etc., and

cutting off the gasolene supply and locks have been used to fasten the engine hood down to prevent thieves from getting at the engine. All of these devices fail in difierent respects and can be overcome by a very simple mechanism. All automobiles are constructed with a partition wall between the engine base and being so arranged it is im possible for a person to obtain access to the upper portion thereof, adjacent to the hood, even though the floor boards are removed. It is the purpose of this invention to utilize this condition and to arrange upon the forward side of this partition 1 a combination lock 2 which may be of any suitable pattern or make. i

The lock 2 is riveted or otherwise fastened to the forward side of the partition 1 by bolts locked on the forward side so that they cannot be removed from the exposed side from within the body.

An operating spindle 3 extends rearwardly into the car body and is connected with a knob4 arranged upon the instrument board 5 in a convenient position.

A bar 6 isslidably supported in a suitable bracket 7 arranged upon the rearward side of the partition 1 and extends through a hole in the partition and is provided with notches 8 and 9 which are adapted to be engaged by the bolt 10 of the lock 2.

The lock bolt 10 is adapted to enter the notch 8 and to prevent the bar 6 from being drawn backwardly and the notch 9 is so arranged that when the bolt enters the same the bar cannot be pushed forwardly.

A lever 11 is pivotally supported upon the bracket 7 being arranged in a suitable position to be reached by the foot and the upper end thereof engages the slotted end of the bar 6 so that when pressed by the foot the bar is drawn'rearwardly through the partition.

To the forward endof the sliding bar 6 is secured a member 12 to which is secured a plurality of wire control members 13. These wires extend through a block 14 in which are casings and the way of the length of the hood. Within each of these, casings is arranged a slidable bolt 17 which is rigidly secured to the other end of the wires 13.

The wire casings are preferably brazed 0 otherwise in'imovably connected to the bolt .casings'and consequently the operating wire cannot be tampered with.

The hinge members of the hood are provided with bracket members 18 having beveled and notched lower ends 19- adapted to enter the openings 20 in'the top of the lock ock bolts are suitably const-ructed to engage the notched ends ofsaid brackets in locking contact.

Bracket members 21 are secured to the in--.

nor side of the hinged hood sections close to with a .suitable means for shutting ofi' the supply of gas'olene to: the engine or for operating a suitable bolt to lock the propelling mechanism of the car if such extra safety is desired.

The bolt of thelock 2, when engaging the notch 8, looks the member 6 from movement so'that pressure upon the foot pedal will not release the locks connected by the,

wire controls but when the proper combination is operated and the lock bolt is released from engagement with the -member .6 the foot levermay beoperated to draw the bar outwardly and said-bar pulling upon the control wires releases the various locking members. A pivotal electric switch arm 22'is arranged adjacent to the combination lock 2 and the free end ofsaid arm is connected by. a link23 to the bolt-of the lock..2., The

stationary member 24 of the. switch; is uprovided with a jaw-shapedcontajct- 25 adapted to be engaged by theswitch arm 221when the bolt of the lock 2-has been released from the bar 6, thereby closing the electric circuit of the ignition system of the engine when-the locks are released. A spring '6 is arranged I switch or to any of the wires.

between the block 14 and the bolt 6' and normally holds the bolt 6 so that the latch bolts contact with v the member 24. andthe ignition, system, is thus broken-g Asthe' hood 1s locked closed access cannot be'had to the electric It is important that the engme inclosure be sealed, that is, that .none' of the parts can be opened or removed when locked. The

pan on the bottom is secured in any suitable manner with bolts or other fastening means that are unfastened from the inside so that when the hood is locked down access cannot be had to the bolts to release'the pan from the placing of the car for repairs in the hands of other parties and in order to obviate 'loss of time and also the undesirable condition of disclosing the combination of the car to others, the notch 9 in the member 6 is adapted to be engaged by the lock bolt when the member 6 has been drawn to its inward position releasing the various bolts. When thus engaged by the lockbolt the locking members are locked unlocked and in order. to*provide for the closing of. the ignition system a hand operated switch arm 26 is connected with the, arm 22 and is adapted'to engage a contact member 26' of the member 24;

It will be readily seen that manyvariations in the form of the locks and. in the actualoperation of the said locks may be made, as also the structure of the various operating members may be altered without departing from the spirit of thisinvention which is the arranging of locking members within a sealed compartment and operating them from the outside through the operating connection to a combination lock. The combination lock cannot be tampered with when the device is locked and though the knob may be knocked off orthe operating spindle severed the person so doing has no further means for unlocking the lock nor can the member 6 be released in any other way except by the operation of 'the' combination.

The spindle of the combinationlock is merely a bolt which if it is cut may be driven inwardly to allow of the insertion of a. supplementary boIt and the combination lock may be so arranged as to enable the insertion of a new spindle by persons having knowledge of the combination,

.What I claim as my invention is A means for locklng automobiles, comprising a plurality of locking members arranged within and adapted to seal the engine inclosure, flexible wire controls connected with each of said locking members, a manually operable member operatively connected to and adapted to operate all of said flexible wire controls in umson, and a combination member. 1

. -THOMAS I000.

. lock adapted to lock said manually operable 

